Learned Emotions
by AriaMirror1028
Summary: Crossover between Labyrinth and Village of the Damned. Rated T for violence, death, and spanking of a child. More detailed summary inside. No romantic pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights go to who ever does own the rights to these movies.**

**Summary: My crossover between Labyrinth and the 1995 movie Children of the Damned. Mara survives the bomb with the help of her mate's wish. Now as she finds herself living in the goblin king's castle she must learn to cope with the development of emotions over the loss of her mate and siblings. Soon she learns an important secret about the king himself regarding her colony and the others. Can she learn to coexist in the goblin city with the other creatures around her or will she cause more chaos?**

Ch1.

It wasn't really like he thought anything would happen. Just one last panicked thought stemming from the only emotion he or the others would admit to feeling. Protective. He felt protective of his mate. As for the idea, none of them knew why "The Labyrinth" was their favorite book but it was. His protectiveness sired the thought and his understanding of the magical story in the book bore and birthed it. His last quick thought before the bomb went off on the group of nine year olds and their teacher was, '_I wish the goblin king would come and take Mara away right now.'_

The intelligent child opened her eyes. She had fainted or something. She didn't recall the bomb detonating or notice any pain in those last moments. Had it failed to go off or was this the afterlife? Where was her Father who had been so intent on killing her and her siblings but saving David, the one who feels? Also where was Robert, her mate? Julie and Michael? Nancy and Ryan? Cassidy and Damien? She could no longer hear their thoughts. Had she lost her powers? No, she could hear other thoughts. Strange thoughts. Dark and mocking thoughts directed at her. Was this the hell the humans had spoken of?

"Am I dead," she said sitting up in what appeared to be a pillow pit in the floor of a throne room built of stone.

"No Mara," said the blonde man on the throne, "You are very much alive," he waved his riding crop in the air for dramatic effect.

She furrowed her brows. She could not read his thoughts. It wasn't like he was blocking her. There was no constant annoying thought to hide the rest. It was more like seeking a book in a library only to find out that the book you were seeking did not exist.

"Who are you," she asked narrowing her eyes.

He did not speak but instead surprised her by sending a thought into her mind of his own free will, '_Take a look out the window and remember Robert's last thoughts. You know who I am Mara and I know you._'

Her eyes widened. So she could hear his thoughts. She just had to get him to direct them at her. Her eyes glowed green, '_Open your mind to me,_' she pressed.

He threw his head back and laughed at her weak effort, still defying her attempts to see his mind.

She added more power and her eyes became yellow, '_Show me your thoughts,_' she persisted.

"Silly child, your power is impressive but it does not effect me," he gave her an amused smirk.

More power made them red, '_Let me in,_' she screamed at him in her head.

"Patience Mara, all in due time," he stood and walked to the window at a leisurely pace.

Her eyes became white with some more effort, '_Let me see your thoughts,_' her hands clenched into fists.

"Don't strain yourself Mara. It has no more effect now than it did when you started," he sat on the window sill and held out a hand to her.

She ignored it and tried harder, her face glowing and showing the red outline of her bones, '_Stop blocking me,_' she could sense that he heard her thoughts but felt no need to obey as others did.

"Blocking you? Silly girl, I am not blocking you. I am simply not showing you my mind. Humans leave their minds open. I do not. If I want you to know my thoughts you shall know them. If not it is best that you save your strength. You are no good to me if you harm yourself through overexertion," he left his hand out for her and gazed out the window.

She stopped trying and let him guide her to sit with him at the window. Outside she saw a vast labyrinth surrounding a small city encircling the castle she was in. She understood now. Robert's wish had worked.

"Is Robert trying to get though there to me," she asked in a plain voice.

"No," he glanced at her as she gave him an unbelieving look, "Unfortunately for both of you there was not enough time to give him a chance to search for you. He is dead. All your siblings with the exception of David are dead."

His words made her feel strange. An emotion she did not recognize pulsed through her and she didn't like it. It made her eyes water and tightened her throat. Her stomach felt sick and her knees felt weak. Suddenly she was tired. Maybe she could sleep through it. Her eyes glowed green again as she directed her thoughts to the king, '_I'm tired. I need some place to sleep._'

He nodded and thought back, '_Of course. Since you have no runner you are mine. Since you were wished to me and not the goblins you will not become one of them. Hoggle will show you to your room,_' then he called aloud, "Higgle, take Mara to her room and leave her be. She is tired," he looked at her, "You may explore the castle when you wake but stay inside so I can find you."

She followed a small dwarf to a large suite. The bed was huge. The bathroom was pretty big too and she bathed quickly to relax her sore muscles, a tedious act of self care but it had to be done. She then found a closet that was pretty good sized as well and stocked full of clothes her size that she did not like the idea of wearing. Too colorful in her opinion. She put on a white nightgown and went to bed. She fell asleep easily in the warm sheets once she let a few insistent tears slip.

**TBC…**

**(AN: Let me know what you think so far. Reviews are appreciated.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: Let's see how you readers like this little twist I'm adding. It should make the story a bit more interesting I hope.**

**Ch2.**

She had been living there for a month. The king barely spoke to her and no matter what she did that emotion never went away. Robert was always on her mind and thinking of him only made it worse. Finally she decided she needed fresh air. The guards however would not allow her to pass. With a little mind control they impaled themselves on their own weapons and she went outside.

An hour later she was sitting in the fetal position sobbing on one of the wider walls of the labyrinth. Never had she thought she'd be crying for her mate. It wasn't her nature. Yet here she was. Was this what happened to David? When he realized the absence of his mate he'd learned to live with the pain of loss. He'd even 'empathized' with others. His Mother. Her Father. Both had lost mates. Now this development of emotions was happening to her.

"Still mourning Mara," the king seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Mourning? Is that what this emotion is called," she looked up and maintained, aside from her tears, her usual blank face.

"No. Mourning is the expression of pain over another's death. You feel the emotion known as sadness," he explained and waited a moment for that information to sink in, "You killed three of my guards."

"They were in my way," she stated simply.

"That was the point. I told you to stay inside. You disobeyed me. As usual you use your powers to disappoint your true sire," he replied in calm anger.

"True sire? Is that to say that you're my Father," she tilted her head to the side, as always choosing the most interesting piece of information in the conversation and concentrating on it.

"Yes. I had hoped to see my children learning to coexist with the above grounders but I instead saw colony after colony be destroyed. Colony after colony fail to adapt. My hope now lies with David," he crossed his arms.

"Is that why you lock me in the castle? To hide your surviving failure," she wiped away the tears and controlled her expression.

"No, I keep you inside because there are parts of the labyrinth that have no mind to control, that are dangerous. I seek to protect my only living daughter, princess of the goblins," he did not want her to be a failure but it would take some work from him and a conscious effort from her.

"Princess? Am I to take your throne someday," she decided the air was not doing any good and began walking back to the castle.

"Yes, but since I am immortal and you are as well as long as you live here, I must step down before you may step up. That will not happen until I feel you are ready. First you will need a lesson in discipline," he followed her and placed a hand on her shoulder, teleporting them both back to his own suite.

She stood still as he sat on a chair. He sent her a mental image of her lying over his knee as he spanked her bottom and she stepped back.

"I will discipline you only because I love you Mara. It is for your own good," He reached for her as though he expected her to come willingly.

She turned and ran for the door, only to run into him when she opened it. She remembered that he could teleport and she could not. He got her arm in a vice grip and she tried to pull away.

"Resistance if futile Mara," he tightened his hold and she whimpered in pain, "You will be punished for killing my guards and you will learn your lesson. Am I being quite clear," he walked back to the chair and sat down, not letting go of his created child.

She glared at him defiantly but he did not yield, "Yes Father," her struggles stopped.

She was pulled over his knee and the spanking began. She bit her lip and refused to cry. A few minutes later her Father realized she was being stubborn and summoned a paddle to use on her. She had to fight harder not to cry now.

"Do you think Robert meant for this? Do you think he meant for you to suffer at my hand? Even he would have had to admit that you were foolish to defy a being more powerful than yourself," he tried taunting her.

Finally she couldn't resist anymore and began to weep. He set aside the paddle and soothed her sore bottom. She felt another strange emotion as he held her to give comfort. It was an odd sense of being lost and not knowing what was happening. She had heard this in the thoughts of others. They called it confusion. The question in her head now was, 'Why is he trying to make the pain he deliberately inflicted go away?'

"It is known as tough love to punish a child in order to teach a lesson. I do not like administering it any more than you like receiving it," he rubbed her back as she cried herself to sleep.

**TBC…**

**AN: So what do you think so far? Interesting? Not interesting? Too weird or confusing? Speak your mind if it is. Just because it makes sense to me doesn't mean it makes sense to you so I'd like to know whether or not it does. If you have questions please don't hesitate to ask?**


End file.
